From: Peter Marshall (petermarshall@cix.co.uk)
Date: 08/20/03-03:07:45 AM Z
>
> I have read the chapters about "Salted Prints" in the books The Book of
> Alternative Photographic Processes (C. James) and Coming into Focus..
> (J. Barnier). Will ask few questions:
>
> 1. I don't want to store/mix (mess in other words) with pure silver
> nitrate and will have the 12% solution prepared by a chemical supplies
> store - will purchase it bulk and use when necessary. I remember reading
> about preservatives that should be added to the silver nitrate solution
> (citric acid?). What I didn't understand: Is this practice necessary to
> preserve the silver nitrate solution itself or to preserve the
> sensitized salted paper (to expose... say... one day after sensitizing)?
> I'm confused...
Loris,
Buy silver nitrate crystals and mix following one of the published recipes
- there shouldn't be any mess or any problems in doing so. It dissolves
very readily without fuss in distilled/purified water.
Although citric acid is used as a preservative (usually at up to 5%) I
found it preferable only to sensitise paper on the day I used it. You can
find more in Chapter 6 of James Reilly's book - available on line at
http://albumen.stanford.edu/library/monographs/reilly/index.html
it will tell you all there is to know on the subject.
>
> 2. Is there anyone who printed on unsized Canson Montval 300gsm? If yes,
> did you like the result? (I don't want muddy, flat prints) I have read a
> poster (in photo.net) praising unsized (I mean extra sizing) Fabriano
> Artistico...
>
The important thing to avoid muddy, flat prints is to get your negatives
to the correct contrast. I've not used Canson papers. All the watercolour
papers I tried gave reasonable results, though there are differences in
colour and of course surface.
Salting is best done by immersion of course, making sure to avoid air
bubbles. If you brush coat the silver, be reasonably generous with the
solution. It does avoid any problems with the changing concentration of
the bath used for floating, so I'd recommend it.
> 3. What do you think of salted prints toned in selenium?
>
> Regards,
> Loris.
I think that it is best to tone using gold toner.
You might find the piece I wrote about Salt Prints at:
http://photography.about.com/library/weekly/aa050602a.htm
of some interest, though I don't think it answers any of your questions
specifically.
Regards,
Peter Marshall
Photography Guide at About http://photography.about.com/
email: photography.guide@about.com
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